Math 5 Home School Kit 4th Edition

We are pleased to be able to distribute BJU Press curriculum to our customers. Published by a Christian university located in South Carolina, BJU Press produces and markets curriculum materials for Christian schools as well as home schools. Probably the most homeschool-friendly full-curriculum supplier, they have not only accommodated homeschoolers, but have continually worked to make their materials better suited to the homeschooling family. Many of their courses now contain manuals written specifically for the home school setting, and visuals and supplemental materials have been "pared down" from the bulkier visuals still used in classrooms. While other curriculum suppliers initially frowned on distributing teacher materials to homeschoolers, and provided only expensive classroom versions, Bob Jones quickly embraced homeschoolers, readily allowing them access to teacher's editions and, eventually, producing less expensive spiral-bound or paperbound versions to save money for homeschooling families. One of the strengths of the Bob Jones program is the teaching of concepts, rather than the rote how-to-solve-it approach. Also, Christian principles and character traits are assumed and integrated throughout the program. Each level is themed, providing a motivational learning context. Lessons are "spiraled", meaning topics are reviewed throughout each level, delving a little deeper each time. Lesson exercises consist mainly of practice for that lesson, not a review of previous lessons or chapters. However, topics are not covered, then left forever; they reappear in more complexity throughout the course, allowing for more practice. We have long been fans of Bob Jones curriculum materials, having used courses in almost every subject area for one child or another through the years. In our particular situation (seven children, Mom and Dad sharing in teaching as well as in running Rainbow Resource Center), a well-constructed, teacher-ready course can be a God-send. Although we have used a variety of methods and curriculums in our homeschool through the years (and continue to do so), we strongly feel that the Bob Jones materials we have used have helped to produce excellent, college-ready students. Unless you have a particularly strong aversion to textbooks of any kind, at any level, we highly recommend these materials to you.

Focusing on teaching concepts rather than just memorizing, the elementary levels of BJU Math are taught at the concrete level through hands-on activities and manipulatives, then progress to semi-concrete and abstract instruction as the course progresses. The Student Worktexts are particularly well done – colorful, good variety of skills, and on-grade-level. The consumable Student Worktexts are available through 5^th grade, a real bonus for students who like colorful pages and are not ready to transfer work to their own paper. Beginning in Grade 6, the softcover Student Text offers minimal writing space, so students will need a notebook or paper to complete the lessons.  
BJU Press Math is teacher-centered and works well for one-on-one instruction. Teacher Editions have complete lesson plans and answers to text problems. For those using BJU Math as their math curriculum, they are worth the investment, as they provide the one-on-one instruction, manipulative instruction, and offer many suggestions for presenting and enriching the concepts covered in each lesson. Additional resources are available at various grade levels including a Test Book and Test Key, Reviews and Reviews Key, and Paper Manipulatives. See individual grades for more information. At each level, the Homeschool Kit includes the required components for the year. 

Reviews previously learned concepts and builds on the mathematical foundations of multiplication, division, and place value to further expand understanding of geometry, ratios, measurements, fractions and decimals. The Biblical worldview remains evident. Homeschool Kits include the 2 Vol. Teacher Ed, Student Worktext, Activities, and the Assessments, and Assessments Answer Key. A separate manipulative packet is no longer necessary with the 4^th Edition. A limited number of 3^rd edition materials are available.

Following the same scope and sequence as the 3rd edition Math 5, the publisher has expanded teaching strategies, added teacher helps and integrated STEM lessons and group activities. Families who used the 3rd edition will appreciate the compatibility between the editions, and families new to Bob Jones Math will appreciate the comprehensive approach to math from a Biblical worldview. The teacher's edition provides lesson overviews, teaching notes, lesson problem solutions and answer keys for the student activities pages. Manipulatives are still important for concept understanding. Numerous instructional aids previously found in the Teacher Toolkit CD are now included in the back of the teacher edition. Reduced student pages are slightly larger than the previous edition in response to customer input. The student worktext encourages mastery, while chapter opening articles and word problems emphasize a biblical worldview. STEM lessons with corresponding activities are also included. The daily review pages and cumulative reviews have been removed from the 4th edition student worktext. The activities book provides spiral review of concepts from previous chapters, with cumulative reviews. Daily reviews are available online (link is found in the teacher edition). Answers to the activities book are included in the teacher edition. The assessments include a test for each chapter. Answers are found in the assessments answer key. All student materials are consumable, and not reproducible. Components are available individually or in a homeschool kit, which includes the Teacher's Edition, Worktext, Activities Book, Assessments and Assessment Answer Key.